


The Fall

by martianwahtney



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie), M/M, The Avengers (2012) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-08-31 07:55:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8570569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martianwahtney/pseuds/martianwahtney
Summary: Rhodey watches Tony fall from space, then Tony watches Rhodes fall, and somehow the colors fade to grey.





	

James Rhodes never once feared a life without Tony until the Incident. There were a million different times he could have lost Tony. Even before Iron Man, when Tony was partying, and doing drunks, and drinking himself to an early death. And then he had gotten kidnapped. Then he was Iron Man. The palladium poisoning. Throughout all those events, Rhodes never once thought about Tony dying. Tony was a survivor.

But then came the Incident.

The hole in the sky that led to deep space. Tony flew in with no hesitation. In those few seconds after he’d vanished Rhodey imagined a life without Tony. That life was bleak, a life not worth living. That life, that horrible life without Tony looked grey. It was muted colors. A life he didn’t want.

Then Tony fell through. Limp. Lifeless. Just a man in a can. He was gold and red and those were the only two colors Rhodes wanted to see.

But he didn’t slow down.

He didn’t stop.

Limp.

Lifeless.

Falling.

In his mind, the colors were muted. They remained muted until he heard Tony’s voice over the phone, and then the colors were back. And they were beautiful. Tony was the source of all things good and beautiful and bright in his life.

Tony himself was good, and beautiful, and bright.

The Fall had almost taken that from Rhodey.

–

Tony never realized that Rhodey wasn’t everlasting. Rhodey was the one constant thing in his life.

Then came the War, and inevitably the Fall.

Rhodey had flown over 100 missions as War Machine. Tony never even thought about the fact that any one of them could be his last. Rhodey was constant. Always there.

The Fall.

Rhodey took a hit, to the arc reactor. A hit he was never meant to take. A hit that the suit couldn’t take.

The suit died.

He didn’t slow down.

He didn’t stop.

Limp.

Lifeless.

Falling.

Tony would never say it out loud, but all the while Rhodey was falling, all the while he thought he would lose the best thing that ever happened to him, the colors around him seemed to fade to grey. Like Rhodey was his source of that beautiful brightness.

The colors didn’t come back until FRIDAY told him that Rhodey was alive. Then they were back, full force.

Rhodey was the brightest, most beautiful thing Tony had ever seen.

The Fall had almost taken that from Tony.

**Author's Note:**

> yea idk guys  
> [here](http://anthonystarhk.tumblr.com)


End file.
